Fruit-picker.



A. BEVERLY.

FRUIT PIGKER.

APPLICATION FILED 00129, 1914 1 1 S Qgy Patented; M21122, 1915.

Witnesses Inventor THE NORRIS'PETERS Co FHOTO-LITHOH WASHINOrON, By C ALEXANDER BEVERLY, OF GLACIER, WASHINGTON.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed October 9, 1914. Serial No. 865,906.

without the necessity of climbing the trees or employing a ladder.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a picking or plucking head of unique construction and operation, for receiving and detaching the fruit, means being" provided for conducting the fruit in a careful manner to the ground. I

Another object ofthis invention is to provide novel means for actuating the picking head.

It is also within the scope of the invention, to provide a fruit picker of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction, which may be readily manipulated for picking or gathering the fruit, and which will be convenient, practical, serviceable and efiicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed. can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The present invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing. wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved picker, a portion of the handle or staff being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the present invention, there is employed a handle or staff 1 of suitable length. and which is arranged to be normall held in an inclined position during the picking operation. A bar or strip 2 is secured upon the upper end portion of the handle 1, and is provided with the horizontally or angularly extending portion 3 proecting over the upper end of the handle, and terminating in a defiexed or downturned ear 4 to which the picking or plucking head is secured. The picking or plucking head embodies a stationary or fixed ring or annulus 5 constructed of metal, and having its rear portion riveted or otherwise secured to the ear 4 of the bar or bracket 2, whereby the ring 5 will be disposed in a horizontal position when the handle 1 is held inclined, as seen in Fig. 2. Mounted snugly for oscillation within the outer ring 5, is an inner ring or annulus 6, which is narrower in width than the ring 5, and the lower edge of which rests upon an inner annular ledge or shoulder 7 formed at the lower edge of the ring 5. The upper edge of the inner ring 6 is spaced below the upper edge of the outer ring 5.

The ring 5 is provided with a plurality of notches or recesses 8 in its upper edge and at the forward side thereof, the notches 8 extending below the upper edge of the ring 6. and having the flared mouths 9 above the upper edge of the inner ring. One side edge of each notch 8 is curved, as at 10, while the other side edge is straight, as at 11, and the edges of the notches 8 are sharpened to present sharp cutting edges against the periphery of the inner ring 6. The inner ring 6 is provided with notches 12 in its upper edge which normally register or coincide with the notches 8 of the ring 5, those edgesof the notches 12 opposite the curved edges 10 of the notches 8, being curved, as at 13, while the other edges 14: of the notches 12 are straight. Thus, the curved and straight edges of the notches 8 and 12 are reversed upon the two rings. The edges 13 and 14 of the notches or recesses 12 are also sharpened to present sharp cutting edges against the interior of the outer ring 5. The two rings 5 and 6 thus provide a pair of cooperating annular cutters, which are arranged to oscillate rela tive to one another, and one of which is fixed or stationary and carried by the upper end of the handle.

In order to conduct the fruit from the picking head to the ground, a fabric chute 15 is carried by and extends downwardly from the picking head, the chute 15 being preferably zig-zagged or sinuous to retard '2 ble element 26 has its "upper end anchored properly conduct the fruit from within the picking head into the chute.

the gravitation of the .fruit through the chute, 'so' that the fruit will not become bruised. The chute 15 enables the fruit to be discharged into a bag, or other receptacle for the fruit. As a means for. attaching the upper end of the chute 15 to the picking head, a plurality of straps 16 are secured in any suitable manner to the up porting the upper end of the chute below the. picking head. Thus, the straps 16, which are fof leather or other similar material, notonlyassist in holding the ring v6 within the ring 5, but also serve as cushions or pads for preventing the fruit from being bruised in contacting accidentally or casually with the upper edge of the annular cutting or picking head. The straps 16 also enable theupper end of thechutej to have a slight movement relative to the picking head, and at the same time, the s'traps will Some ofthe straps16 are arranged between or at the sides of thenotches 8 of the ring 5 for the above purposes. r Y

The-actuating means ior oscillating the 'ring or annular cutter 6 embodies -'a U- shaped bar 19 having its ends bent angularly and'riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom of the portion 3 of the bar 2, and a roller or pulley 20 is journaled between thebottom portion of the bar 19 and bar 2. A U-shaped bar or bracket 21 has its upper arm 22 working through a slot or elongated recess 23; formed inthe upper edge of; the ring 5-adj acent the rear or inner side'of the said ring, and the end of the arm 22 is bent downwardly, as at 2 1,'an.d riveted or otherwise'secured to the interior. of the ring 6-. The edge of the slot or recess 23'is flushwith the upper edge of the ring 6,

and the bar, 21 projects radially from the ring 6' so as to-work through the slot 23, and also limit the oscillation "of the ring 6. A pulley wheel 25 is journaled between the upperand lower arms of the U-shapedmember 21, and "an actuatingcable, cord or flexito' the rivet or securing. member 27 which attaches the outer end of the bar 19 tothe portion 3 of the bar 2. From the rivet or element 27, the cable 26 is'passed around thepulleyl25 carried byfthe bar. 21. of the spring 29, fora new operation. 7

ring 6, and the cable is then passed around the pulley 20. From the, pulley 20, the cable 26 is'passed through the eyes of eye screws or guide members28-secured to one side of the handle 1 at various points along the length thereof. Thus, the cable 26 is ex-' tended to the lower end of the handle 1, in

order that it may be readily pulled by the v operator who is manipulating the handle for picking the fruit. 7

A coiled wire retractile'spring, 29has one terminal connected to the'lower arm of the bar 21, and has its other-terminal anchored to the outer side .or periphery oat-the ring 5 for normally swinging the ring .6 clockwise, as seen in Fig. 1, to normal position. Thus,

the spring 29 will normally swing the bar or member 21: awayfromthepulley 20, and will normally bring the notches 12 of the ring :6 into register with the notches 8 of the ring 5,. 7 V In use, the handle 1 maybe readily manipulated by the operator who is standing upon the ground, for passing'the annular picking head over the fruit. It is an easy matter for, the operator to reach the fruit from the ground, and to, so manipulate the picking head t at' he fr iwill be received within-the rings'..5 and6 of the picking head with the stem of the fruit passing through one of the registering pairs ,of notches 8 and 12. Thfemby pull-ingthe cord 26, the

loop of the cord or cable 26 between the securing element-27 and pulley 20 and passing around the pulley 25, will'be contracted, so'as to swing the bar 21 toward the pulley 20, and thereby swing the ring 6 counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 1. This will cause the cutting edges' of the respective notches 8 and 12 to sever thesteI-n ofthe fruit, so

begraduallyj conducted down the chute to the receptacle;v When the cordv or cable 2.6 released, the'ri-ng 6 will be returned to normal position underthe influence ofthe W 'th the present device, the fruit may be readily harvested, and without danger of bruising the fruit. ,The other advantages 1&5

and, capabilities of the present contrivance wi'llabe obvious to those versed in the art, it is j. thought, with out ifurther comment being necessary. 7

Havin'g thus described the invention, what is'claimed asnew is I I -.A picking device comprising a handle, 'a

picking-head carried by the upper end there- 7 of and embodying outer and inner rings having upper notches adapted to normally register, means for. supporting the inner ring' for oscillation within the outer ring,

-theouter ring being attached to the upper end of the hanfdlefthe upper-edge oi; the inner ring beingfspaced below the upper dger thve ou er ng m ans o ci latin 105 that the fruitwill drop into the' chute and In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALEXANDER BEVERLY.

Witnesses:

WVILLIAM MARTINEAU, FRANK E. Bo'r'rrGER.

the inner ring, straps disposed Within said rings and having their upper ends secured to and passing over the upper edge of the outer ring, some of the straps being disposed at the sides of the notches of the outer ring, and a chute attached to the lower ends of the said straps below the said rings.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

